Road to Ba Sing Se | Zuko

03

The person who had interrupted her thoughts ended up being a harmless old man. He wore a faded green garment with a straw hat strapped to his back. His long, grey beard and soft, brown eyes instantly put Keya at ease. He was a simple Earth Kingdom wanderer like herself. Keya decided to approach him with a friendly demeanor.

"Uh... Hello, sir. Do you happen to know the rest of the lyrics? I kind of forgot." Keya gave him a friendly smile as she spoke. The man scratched his beard for a moment and looked up in thought.

"Hmm, no. I can't say I know the song well enough." He sighed and looked back at her. "But I have heard of it before somewhere... Do you happen to be a part of the Earth Kingdom nomads? Don't you guys usually travel in a big group?"

"Oh!" Keya gasped in surprise at his knowledge. "No, sir. I'm no nomad, but my mother's family were nomads! So she learned the song as a little girl and then sang it to me when I was little. That was a long time ago, though. How did you know?" Keya had never met anyone in her town who'd heard of the Earth Kingdom nomads.

"I've been around for a long time, young one. I've seen a lot of things, and have met a lot of interesting people. Not much unlike yourself!" The old man's chubby hands rested on his big belly as he laughed. Keya wondered how he had gotten fat (and where he got the food), but she figured that would be a bit rude to ask.

"Say," The old man suggested, "would you be interested in a warm cup of tea before you continue your travels? I would love to hear more about how a young lady such as yourself ended up travelling all alone. I've even been told that I can make a ginseng brew so relaxing that it can completely clear the mind. Perhaps that would help you remember the rest of your song." His friendly vibe and the promise of tea were all too tempting for Keya. So, against her better judgment, the young girl nodded enthusiastically and followed the man to his camping spot.

There, a few paces behind a big boulder, she could see the start of a fire with a worn teapot resting above it. Was the man planning on coming across a stranger or did he always have a kettle going? Keya wasn't sure which answer she preferred.

"Here you go. Would you please have a seat? I'll prepare the tea as we speak." The man gestured to the grass and started rustling in an old bag he seemed to be carrying around. "Let's see... Ginseng, ginseng..." He mumbled to himself as the young teen across from him sat down and got comfortable. Keya's bright eyes made sure to take in everything in her surroundings. From the pine trees around them to the squawking birds in the distance. Once again her interest was captured by the old man tending his kettle. He was currently breaking off the ginseng carefully with a small knife.

"If you don't mind me asking, sir, you said something about having travelled a lot?" The man smiled a closed eye smile and nodded, not looking up once at his company. He was completely focused on cutting his ginseng root properly.

"Yes, I did and I have. Although, for the past few years I did not travel alone. My nephew and I have seen quite a lot of the world. Actually, he is just about your age." Keya was somehow reminded of the quiet boy she had met the day before. He was around her age as well. But the old man only had one pack laying next to the campfire. There were no signs at all of another person accompanying him.

"You're travelling alone now, though, aren't you? May I ask what happened?" Keya felt pity for the poor man. He looked so friendly and sweet. She hoped that whatever had split the old man and his nephew wasn't too upsetting. If he was upset, the man did not show it. He dropped his chopped ginseng roots into the kettle and finally looked up at her.

"My nephew felt like he needed to go his own way for a while. I'm tracking him to keep an eye on him." He gestured to the young teen sitting across from him. "Perhaps you can relate. Are you travelling all by yourself as well?"